Documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney completed what he expected to be a final two-hour film about Elon Musk in late 2024, covering the entrepreneur's career from his PayPal beginnings through his acquisitions of Twitter, his work with SpaceX and Tesla, and his personal life. After Musk donated substantial sums to Donald Trump's presidential campaign and took a prominent role in his transition, HBO executives asked Gibney to continue filming and financed additional work.
Gibney spent nearly two more years shooting additional material, bringing the documentary to a six-hour cut that explored Musk's involvement with the Department of Government Efficiency and SpaceX's planned initial public offering in summer 2025. The film has since been edited down for theatrical and broadcast release.
The documentary is scheduled to premiere September 8 at the Venice Film Festival in a three-hour, 45-minute version. It will receive a wide theatrical release in October at the same length, followed by an HBO debut in 2027 as a four-hour cut.
Gibney, 72, has previously directed documentaries on Scientology, Enron, the U.S. military, Vladimir Putin, the Catholic Church, and Wall Street. He is currently making final edits to the Musk film, including sound adjustments and visual effects work.
